


Sometimes Things Aren't Alright, But You Make Them Better

by lord_loveandstuff



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, References to Depression, Teasing, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 07:07:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21352222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lord_loveandstuff/pseuds/lord_loveandstuff
Summary: A shaggy, disgruntled man walking around downtown while there is a harsh storm, with nothing to protect him but his shitty hood. Not to mention the guitar case on his back weighing him down. This was certainly not an ideal situation to be in. Then again, he had no choice in the matter.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Kudos: 71





	Sometimes Things Aren't Alright, But You Make Them Better

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old piece of work that I decided to finish. Also, a small warning; all German used was put together by Google Translates and two years of German classes that I barely remember. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy it! Please leave kudos and comments!

“Ja, I’m almost at his house,” Caleb spoke into his phone. It was hard to hear with the pouring rain around him. He thought it would not start until later, but mother nature is always unpredictable. The cars racing past him did not help much either. The people passing by probably thought he looked like an idiot. A shaggy, disgruntled man walking around downtown while there is a harsh storm, with nothing to protect him but his shitty hood. Not to mention the guitar case on his back weighing him down. This was certainly not an ideal situation to be in. Then again, he had no choice in the matter. 

Mollymauk had officially missed too many band practices for it to be normal. Everyone knew he was not the greatest with time management, so a few postponed meetings every now and again was to be expected. But something was different lately. He did not give the same confident and wild excuses. He no longer danced around trying to get a feel for the music. The man kept to himself, stuck in his own mind, and barely said anything. The group joked that it was because of him spending more time with Caleb, but declared it a problem when it started affecting his singing. Everyone tried to pry into what was happening but got nowhere. It was the worst possible time for Yasha to be on one of her sudden out of town trips.

With their gig coming up quickly, Beau suggested calling Caduceus to fill in for him. The problem was that the track they prepared was made to specifically match Molly’s vocals and style. Caduceus is a good singer but gets nervous when having to perform something he is not used to. Caleb agreed to go directly to Molly’s place instead and talk.

“You really think you can get through to him?” Nott asked on the other end of the line. She was originally unsure of the idea of Caleb going alone, but it would be uncomfortable if she joined. Caleb and Molly had formed a weird bond in the past few weeks. Nott’s presence might intercept it. “He can be pretty hard to get to sometimes. Even Yasha said so.”

Caleb nodded as if Nott could see him. “Ja. I’ll be fine. All will go fine. He won’t kill me.”

“I don’t know if I can agree with that.” Caleb guessed Nott was joking by her breathy laugh, but it was hard to tell with her tone and way of thinking. As he moved forward he saw the building to Molly’s apartment. 

“Call you back, Auf Wiedersehen.” Caleb hung up on Nott, well aware she will yell at him later for it before entering the apartment complex. It was not the best building, but Molly said that it was alright. Rent was cheap and the people in it were entertaining. He never seemed to care about the conditions or safety hazards. There was the same tired old goblin woman at the front desk. She looked almost undead as she lazily read the newspaper in her one hand and smoked a cigarette in the other. Caleb crept past her as fast as possible to the stairway without saying a word. The elevator was a violent accident waiting to happen. He was thankful Molly was only on the second floor. 

The halls were empty when he reached Molly’s floor. The only noise was the squeaking from Caleb’s wet boots on the dry floor. When he got to the door, he could tell something was wrong immediately. Molly usually likes to blast music to fill the silence in his apartment. Any genre would work, he just needed something to sway his body to. There was no music though. Just the silence that he hated so much. Caleb knocked twice but got no answer. He tried again harder and rapidly. “Who the fuck is it?!” a familiar voice yelled out, “If it’s you Maruo I already paid my damn rent!”

“I-It’s Caleb! Mollymauk, could you let me in please?” He spoke more softly but tried to be loud enough. He wanted to avoid bringing any unwanted attention to the situation. The people in the complex were pretty nosey sometimes. 

There is a small beat of silence. “Door’s open,” Molly answered back. Caleb was almost positive the door does not actually have a working lock.

Opening the door, Caleb realized the lights in the apartment were all off. It was not completely dark but still hard to see in. He took the liberty of turning them on, satisfied to see that they still worked. The place was the same as always. It has a basic apartment layout. The kitchen and living room were together in one space, while a small hall to the left leads to the bathroom and bedroom. A few dirty clothes and books off their shelves were scattered around the living room. Molly was not the best at housekeeping, but it was almost unnoticeable with his collection of little nick-nacks. Old beads on wires strung all around the room. Rusted teacups held multitudes of random oddities, from old coins to stuffed small animals. Thin tapestries covered the walls, with non-matching carpeting hiding the floorboards. Miniature statues with some form of religious significance watched over the room’s space. There was so much more to gander at if one took their time to. The room looked like an old antique shop that a witch lived in. It was charming in the oddest ways, just like the tiefling himself. Caleb breathed in the air, surprised Molly did not have any candles or incense burning. He glanced around for the man, realizing where Molly was with the sound of the shower being turned off. Caleb made his way to the couch, draped with a quilt of several different colored fabrics, and sat as gingerly as he could. He rested the guitar case by his feet on the floor, safe and nearby but out of the way. The bathroom door soon opened. Caleb was secretly thankful the couch was facing the opposite direction. The idea of seeing Molly with just a towel on made him flustered.

“I’ll be over in a minute,” Molly said. His voice was worn out with a bit of a scratch. “I just need pants.”

Caleb cleared his throat. “Take your time.”

A few silent minutes passed before Molly exited the bedroom. He came out with a pair of tattered jeans, the boxer’s waistband peeking out only a little. This was a normal sight, but Caleb still secretly enjoyed it. His wet hair and undecorated horns only added to that pleasure. Not to mention the water dripping down the man’s body, leaving his chin and guiding all the way down to his navel. Caleb’s face was getting hot.

Molly made his way to the couch and sat next to Caleb with a long yawn. Normally, Molly enjoyed running up and jumping over the back end of the couch, usually resulting in him falling off and laughing his ass off. He also preferred to sprawl out as much as he could, resting limbs all over his friend. Now he was just sitting criss-cross. 

“My apologies that I caught you at a-uh, a bad time.” Caleb apologized, gesturing to the wet hair. 

Molly rolled his eyes before messing with his wet, purple hair. “You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re wet too though.” Caleb blinked a few times before remembering he was just in the rain. The other snickered to himself at Caleb’s noticeable reaction. At least he still had his childish humor. Caleb leaned back into the couch and observed Mollymauk. His face was relaxed, but his eyes had heavy bags under them, reminding Caleb of his own. “What brings you over here?”

Caleb, forgetting all of the lines he planned in his head before arriving, looked away and stared at his feet to carefully place his words. “I-I just have not seen you in a while. I wanted to make sure you were alive.” Caleb attempted to mimic a kind smile like Caduceus’ or Jester’s but knew his worry was overcoming it. Molly’s thumb lifted to his mouth to bite at the nail. “Are you okay?” Caleb asked softly.

The other just shrugged in response. He was very carefully avoiding directly facing Caleb. “Mollymauk,” Caleb began, “I know something is going on. You’re acting differently. You don’t have to tell me now, but-uh, I am always here if you want to talk. I-We’re worried.”

There were a few seconds of silence, then a low groan. Molly’s voice came in a whisper. “I’ve just been a little upset recently, that’s all. I don’t know why exactly, but I am. I don’t have a lot of energy and just been feeling-.” He cut himself off at the end with the cracking of fingers. Caleb could hear his voice quiver as he attempted speaking again. He understood this scene too well. “I don’t know, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not!” Caleb interrupted. Molly glanced back at him, thrown off by the sudden assertiveness. Caleb cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I-eh, I mean, you know me, I understand that feeling. It’s- it’s horrible to deal with, especially on your own. Nott helps me at those times and makes sure she’s there for me.” Molly looked away again and swallowed something. Tears were building up. Caleb’s body turned to fully face the other. “A-and I’m here for you. Even if it’s just to have someone there.”

Caleb felt his heart pound at his own words. Uneasy energy filled the room. Such a small promise when said out loud, but it still felt odd for Caleb to say. The only other people he made that promise to take advantage of it. But he was with new people, new friends. People like Nott and Molly were special. 

There were a few silent seconds between them before Molly started sniffling. The tears were finally coming down. His head quickly moved to Caleb’s chest, grabbing his friend’s shirt as if his life depended on it. Caleb’s body froze at the sudden contact but was able to quickly recover and wrap his arms around Molly. His arms rested awkwardly on the other, but neither seemed to care. They were silent together. Caleb could feel tears build upon his shirt, but Molly remained surprisingly quiet with the exception of a few faint sniffles. Eventually one of Caleb’s hands began running through the other’s hair, something he remembered Nott doing for him. The hair was still wet but he could feel Molly’s body relax at the touch. He smelt like lavender shampoo. 

Minutes passed before Molly lifted his head, leaving only a little bit of space between the two men. There were still a few tears that he quickly wiped away himself. Several questions and responses came into Caleb’s mind, but none of them left his lips. Instead, he just watched Molly silently attempt to compose himself. It was a losing battle. He muttered apologies under his breath, getting visibly frustrated. Caleb’s hand returned to pet the other’s head, paying special attention to the base of his horns. It was a trick he learned from watching Yasha calm Molly down in the past. He always got mad at himself for not hitting notes correctly or losing his rhythm. She knew how to make him feel better. Now it was Caleb’s turn.

The human almost jumped in surprise when a purr-like sound came out of Molly. It was not exactly like a cat’s, as it was deeper and more scarce in volume, but not too far off. Molly’s head fell back onto Caleb’s chest, letting the pleasant feeling consume his thoughts. “Du bist in Ordnung,” Caleb whispered into Molly’s ear. “Alles ist in Ordnung. Ich werde dich nicht loslassen.” He knew Molly did not understand Zemnian, but the tiefling once mentioned he found the language calming coming from Caleb. 

The rain continued to pour outside. It was muffled but was loud enough in the quiet apartment. Occasionally there would be a flash of light, and the sound of thunder following. Thankfully it was not too loud to make either one jump or disrupt the moment. It was nothing more than a soft rumbling.

Molly continued his purring as his thumb absentmindedly rubbed small circles into Caleb’s chest. It was warm. He could feel the chest hair beneath. There was a sudden desire to remove the shirt, to be able to admire and feel what was being hidden, but those thoughts were quickly pushed away. Molly liked Caleb a lot. He was practically in love with the man. But he had no idea how the other felt about him. He cares enough to come over at his lowest moment without judgment, but was that it? Was there anything more? 

He moved his head slightly to get a better look at Caleb. Even when the man purposely attempted to look like a mess, his handsomeness still peeks through. His strong jaw with those caring blue eyes. Gods, those eyes shined like gentle light hitting sapphires. It was hypnotizing. The man in question looked down at Molly, noticing the purring coming to a holt. He gave a small grin that the other mirrored. They watched one another, losing a sense of reality as they looked into the other’s eyes. Bright red on blue. Caleb broke the silence, but continued the loving stare down.

“Are you feeling a little better, mein Freund?” Caleb’s hand trailed down to behind Molly’s ear and gave it a tiny scratch. The tiefling bite his lip, trying and failing to hold in a giggle, as his head instinctively leaned into the touch. 

He nodded his head with a shy smile. The hand returned back to the top of his head. However, Caleb’s other hand slowly moved its position from Molly’s back. Instead, it drifted faintly to his side, digging into it softly and wiggling his fingers. Molly did not try to hold back his laughter as he attempted to fight Caleb off of him. It was not much of a fight since he did not truly want Caleb to stop touching him. He liked the sound of Caleb’s voice as he teased the other, the light smile blossoming on the usually grumpy man. Molly wiggled in the man’s grasp as the other hand left his head and attacked the other side of his torso. The tiefling’s frantic laughter filled the room. Caleb loved that laugh. It was loud, obnoxious, and contagious. 

With no warning, Caleb halted his tickle attack. His hands remained at Molly’s waist. They fit perfectly there as Molly attempted to catch his breath. This was the closest the two have physically ever been. Ever since they met, Caleb had certain unspoken boundaries Molly made sure to follow. Especially when it came to touch. There was a bit of trial and error, but eventually, he had the right idea. However, Caleb himself gradually started to become more and more physically with Molly as time went on. Caleb would hold onto Molly’s wrist to ensure neither would lose track of the other, fix small pieces of hair that were out of place or in the way, and even asks for a hug on particularly stressful days. 

There were no complaints about it of course. It was good that Caleb was opening up. But it was only with the tiefling. If any of their friends were in the same room or vicinity Caleb made no effort for physical attention. Molly assumed it was because Caleb was afraid they might get the wrong idea and start invading his boundaries. The two had started a special relationship. It was sudden, it was unexplainable, and neither one knew why or how it happened. One minute they were just bandmates and the next Caleb was at Molly’s apartment for shitty takeout dinner. 

Molly cleared his throat once he felt his heartbeat return to a more steady pace. “Was not expecting that from you, Mr. Caleb.” 

Caleb gave a soft giggle. It was sweeter than any baked good Jester could offer. “Sorry. I got a bit-eh, carried away for a second.” A faint blush snuck its way onto the human’s face. Molly would have missed it if he was not so familiar with that area. 

“You don’t need to apologize. It made me feel better.” Molly wiped his eyes again, this time removing tears from laughing too hard. He gave a wide smile to emphasize his point. Another cute giggle. A special sound just for him. No one else was around to hear it. No one from the band or their friend group, just him and Caleb. The smile dissipated when Molly remembered the band and what he did, or rather has not been doing. “Fuck, I’m so sorry about those missed practices. It’s- fuck, I wasn’t thinking! I just-“ The man was cut off. 

A pair of lips were on his own. A shiver ran down Molly’s neck. They were chapped as expected, yet had their own softness to them. Perhaps it was just because they were Caleb’s. He greedily kissed back, overtaken by suddenly adrenaline and lust. His soft hands made their way to the back of Caleb’s neck and head. When they parted for air, their foreheads met. Both their eyes were wide and full of ecstasy. Molly’s smile curled into a devilish grin. Caleb could see his tail wagging behind him like a cat, flicking back and forth. 

“You’re just full of surprises tonight, aren't you?” Molly’s eyebrows narrowed. Caleb gave a shy smile with a slightly shaky breath. The other’s face relaxed, prepared to stop right there if Caleb wanted.

However, Caleb snuck his hand up to gently grab and tilt Molly’s chin upward. “I uh, might have a few more surprises up my sleeve.” The teifling’s face flushed a deeper purple, but the grin grew wider as his tongue flicked across his lips. There was a small beat before Molly’s lips connected onto Caleb’s neck and collarbone, letting loose a barrage of kisses, bites, and sucks. The others’ low moans and tight grip fueled his attacks. Caleb’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as Molly made his way lower and lower. It stopped abruptly when Molly’s hand began tracing Caleb’s hard shaft. The man’s hip lifted with the other’s hand, desperate for the touch. 

With a knowing grin, Molly got off of Caleb and began heading towards his bedroom. Before his body was completely out of view, he gestured with his index finger to follow with a loud giggle. Caleb rolled his eyes with a large smile on his face. He knew the tiefling would be the death of him, but Caleb couldn’t resist the temptation even if he wanted to. He was going to be there for Molly, just as Molly was there for him. The human’s mind raced wildly as he made his way off the couch, removing his belt in the process. It was going to be a long, fun night.


End file.
